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Dropping the position-dependent source delay in the leading far-zone retarded field requires source size $d$ to be small compared with its variation time $\tau$, in units $c=1$. The retarded quadrupole field also requires $d/r\ll 1$. For a typical nonrelativistic bound source, $\tau \sim d/v$ implies this long-wavelength condition; an arbitrarily rapidly oscillating small displacement is not controlled merely by its instantaneous speed.

Let ${\gamma }_{\alpha \beta }={\delta }_{\alpha \beta }$ be the positive Euclidean spatial background metric. Write a tensor-sector metric perturbation as $h_{00}=h_{0\alpha }=0$, $h_{\alpha \beta }=-2E_{\alpha \beta }$, with ${\gamma }^{\alpha \beta }{E}_{\alpha \beta }=0$ and ${\partial }^{\alpha }{E}_{\alpha \beta }=0$. Spatial indices here are raised with $\gamma$, and $\square ={\partial }_t^2-\Delta$.

Substitute the linearized Levi-Civita connection into the cover's curvature definition. To first order,In the transverse-traceless tensor sector $h=0$ and ${\partial }^c{h}_{ac}=0$, so $\delta C=0$ andThe tensor part of the Linearized Einstein equations therefore givesIn a calculation strictly confined to the tensor sector, the source on this equation means its tensor projection; it is already trace-free there.

For a generic compact source, trace-free is not the same as transverse-traceless. For example, the static compactly supported spatial stress $T^{ij}={\partial }^i{\partial }^j\chi -{\gamma }^{ij}\Delta \chi$, with smooth compactly supported $\chi$, is divergence-free, but its trace-free part has divergence $2{\partial }^j\Delta \chi /3$, generally nonzero. There is a precise way to reproduce the unprojected trace-free formula used in the question while retaining this distinction. In Lorenz gauge in linearized gravity, the trace-reversed metric perturbation ${\bar{h}}_{ab}=h_{ab}-{\eta }_{ab}h/2$ obeysDefine its spatial trace-free half-strain byThen its wave equation has exactly the displayed trace-free source $\delta {\hat{T}}^{\alpha \beta }=\delta T^{\alpha \beta }-{\gamma }^{\alpha \beta }\delta T^{\mu }{}_{\mu ,\mathrm{spatial}}/3$. The physical tensor radiation is obtained afterwards with the transverse-traceless projector. Without that projection, this $E$ is a Lorenz-gauge trace-free coefficient, not necessarily a transverse tensor mode. At leading far-zone order, the same directional projector is applied to both sides of the quadrupole field formula below.

The flat contracted Bianchi identity implies stress-energy conservation, ${\partial }_b\delta T^{ab}=0$. LetCompact support removes boundary terms. Differentiate and integrate by parts once:A second time derivative, another integration by parts and symmetry of the stress-energy tensor giveTake the spatial trace-free part. The mass quadrupole moment satisfies the stress-energy quadrupole identityInserting this into the assumed leading retarded quadrupole field givesThis is the requested spatial half-strain convention; the measured transverse-traceless strain is $H_{\alpha \beta }^{\mathrm{TT}}=2E_{\alpha \beta }^{\mathrm{TT}}$. The formula selects the retarded source field and does not include an independently added homogeneous gravitational wave. Dropping the source-dependent part of retardation also needs the long-wavelength source approximation, besides $R/r\ll 1$.

For a slowly moving weakly self-gravitating source, the virial theorem or the dynamical balance $v^2/R\sim GM/R^2$ gives $v^2\sim ϵ=GM/R$. A varying nonspherical mass quadrupole moment has characteristic size $M{R}^2$ and dynamical time $\tau \sim R/v$, so $\ddot{Q}\sim M{R}^2/{\tau }^2\sim M{v}^2$. Consequently the quadrupole strain scaling of a weak self-gravitating source isThis is a characteristic scale, not a nonzero lower bound: a stationary or exactly spherical source does not radiate. Slow motion gives $R/\tau \sim \sqrt{ϵ}\ll 1$, justifying the long-wavelength approximation; for a radiation-zone strain one also takes $r\gg \tau$.

Use $G=c=1$, select the retarded source field with no added homogeneous radiation, and work to leading order in the weak-field approximation and long-wavelength source approximation. The retarded fundamental solution of the Linearized Einstein equations in Lorenz gauge in linearized gravity isFor $r\gg d$, the denominator is $r$ to leading order. The delay is $t-r+\mathbf{n}\cdot {\mathbf{x}}^{\prime }+O(d^2/r)$, where $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{x}/r$. In the usual slowly evolving source regime, its characteristic time $\tau$ obeys $d/\tau \ll 1$, so the source-size part of the delay is negligible:The stress-energy conservation equation ${\partial }_{\mu }{T}^{\mu \nu }=0$ is required at the approximation order used; it follows from the divergence of the gauge-fixed field equation. Compact support removes the integration by parts surface terms. Since $T^{00}=T_{00}$ and $T^{ij}=T_{ij}$ in this signature,Combining these identities gives the retarded quadrupole fieldFor an ordinary nonrelativistic bound source, $\tau \sim d/v$ makes $d/\tau \sim v\ll 1$. More generally the size relative to the variation timescale must also be small; speed alone does not exclude a rapidly varying small-amplitude motion.

The radiation boundary condition for linearized gravity is essential for a statement about the full field. Without it, the displayed implication is false: take $T_{\mu \nu }=0$ and add ${\bar{h}}_{11}=A\cos (k(t-z))$, ${\bar{h}}_{22}=-{\bar{h}}_{11}$, all other components zero. This weak plane gravitational wave satisfies both the homogeneous wave equation and Lorenz gauge in linearized gravity, while every $I_{ij}$ is zero. The proved formula is for the retarded source contribution, with the standard slow-source qualification. Its transverse–traceless projection gives the physical radiative strain.

Use geometrized units $G=c=1$ and signature $(-,+,+,+)$. The original PDF starts with the d'Alembert operator $\square {\bar{h}}_{\mu \nu }=-16\pi T_{\mu \nu }$; the local TeX incorrectly transcribes its derivative indices. The harmonic condition is the Lorenz gauge in linearized gravity.

Choose the retarded solution, excluding an incoming homogeneous wave. For a spatially localized source, the Linearized Einstein equations giveLet the source size be $D$ and the characteristic angular frequency be $\omega$. Assume the weak-field approximation, nonrelativistic source velocities, and $D\ll {\omega }^{-1}\ll r$ for a radiative far-zone measurement. Then $|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}|=r-\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{y}+O(D^2/r)$. At leading order in $D/r$ and $\omega D$, one may replace the denominator by $r$ and the retarded time throughout the source by $t-r$, obtaining

To identify this integral, use stress-energy conservation ${\partial }_{\mu }{T}^{\mu \nu }=0$ for a symmetric source tensor. Compact support or sufficient decay permits integration by parts with no boundary flux. Because $T^{00}=T_{00}$ in this signature, the second mass moment tensor satisfiesSpatial indices are raised with ${\delta }_{ij}$, so $T^{ij}=T_{ij}$. Substitution gives the retarded quadrupole field:The assumptions are an isolated conserved source, retarded boundary conditions, weak gravity, a source small compared with the wavelength, and observation far from it. The physical radiative field follows by the transverse-traceless projector applied to this trace-reversed metric perturbation.

The time-dependent components of the second mass moment tensor contain $\sin (2\Omega t)$ and $\cos (2\Omega t)$. Taking two time derivatives for the retarded quadrupole field leaves that frequency unchanged. Hence the gravitational-wave frequency isHere ${\omega }_{\mathrm{GW}}$ is angular frequency and $f_{\mathrm{GW}}$ counts cycles per unit time. If $I_1=I_2$, the mass quadrupole moment is time independent, so the leading gravitational wave amplitude vanishes and there is no emitted quadrupole frequency to measure.